Lockwoo



(No Model.)

' R. LOOKWOOD.

NURSING NIPPLE.

No. 401,505. Patented Apr. 16, 1889.

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I UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

RHODES LOOKVVOOD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

NURSING-NIPPLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,505, dated April16, 1889.

Application filed January 12, 1889. Serial No. 296,164. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RHODES LOOKWOOD, of Boston, county of Suffolk, Stateof Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Nipples, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification,like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

Prior to my invention nipples for nursingbottles have been made eithersubstantially conical or have been made oblong in crosssection.

In india-rubber nipples such as heretofore made the nipple may beinserted into the mouth of the child substantially up to the end of thebottle or device to which the nipple is connected, and the portion ofthe nipple which may enter the mouth of the child is so long as tofrequently cause gagging. To obviate the liability of the nippleentering the mouth too far, I have provided it with an independentenlargement or guard, which is located in the body of the nipple betweenits delivery end and the enlargement at the base of the nipple whichfits the neck of the bottle, the contracted or waist portion of thenipple between the said guard and the base of the nipple constituting afree bending-point for the nipple between the base of the nipple 011 theneck of the bottle and the guard. The guard is an integral part of thebody of the nipple, and, as shown, is made hollow,whereb y it is mademore soft and elastic.

I have shown the nipple as made substantially round in cross-section, assuch shape is better adapted to a childs mouth than a nipple which isoval in cross-section. The e11- largement 0r guard is herein representedas of the same thickness as the body of the nip ple near it, andconsequently the said enlargement, as shown in the drawings, constituteswhat may be called a hollow ring. By making the enlargement or guardhollow, as shown, the nipple is made to bend easily at that point whichwill be just outside the mouth of the child, and the said hollow ringalso obviates any undue contraction of the milkspace when the nipple isbent. I have also found that a nipple having the enlargement referred tocauses the milk to be delivered more uniformly than were the enlargementomitted.

Figure 1 in elevation represents a nipple embodying my invention appliedto the neck of a bottle; Fig. 2, a cross-section in the line cc, andFig. 3 a vertical section of the nipple.

The delivery end of the nipple properly perforated is located at the endof a short body, 5, which in practice will preferably be substantiallycircular in crosssection, the said nipple having an enlarged base, as c,which is applied to the mouth or delivery end of the bottle or otherarticle containing the milk in usual manner between its base and thedelivery end.

The body I) is provided with an enlargement, (Z, between the base 0 andthe delivery end of the nipple, the said enlargement d serving thepurpose of a guard, the said enlargement or guard being represented asforming a sort of hollow projecting ring, the nipple between the baseand guard being contracted to leave a waist, f, which constitutes abending-point where the nipple may be bent freely between the guard andbase or bottle and yet not stop the flow of milk.

The enlargement or guard determines the extent to which the nipple willenter the mouth of a child and it also forms an easy bending-pointoutside the end of the bottle and between the base and that part of thebody of the nipple which is held in the mouth of the child. Further, theelongation and contraction of the nipple as it is pulled by the childcauses the rubber of the nipple at the enlargement to aid in forcing orexpelling the milk.

The nipple is very flexible and in practice is made from the best ofrubber.

By reason of the enlargement d the efficient area of the passage throughthe nipple as measured in the neck proper, b, is not contracted when thenipple is bent partially over and when in the mouth of a child.

I claim- 1. The herein-described india-rubber nipple, it having a body,as b, a base, 0, to embrace the bottle, a contracted waist, f, and anindependent enlargement or ringintermediate the delivery end of thenipple and the contraeted waist f, the said Waist constituting Intestimony whereoflhave signed my name 10 a free bending point betweenthe base 0, to this specification in the presence of two subwhieh fitsthe neck of the bottle, and the said scribing Witnesses. guard,substantially as described.

5 2. An india-rubber nipple having a neck, RHODES LOCKWOOD.

a base, and an independent enlargement made as a hollow ring and locatedbetween the said Witnesses: base and delivery end of the nipple, to 0p-G. W. GREGORY,

. erate substantially as described. BLANOHE DEWAR.

